Daylight Saving Time Ends: California clocks roll back Sunday

Clocks in Southern California will move back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, marking the end of daylight saving time for 2026. This shift restores Pacific Standard Time and grants residents an additional hour of sleep. The change follows a federal schedule that dictates these adjustments occur on the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November.

While smartphones and computers typically update automatically, many household appliances, watches, and vehicle clocks require manual resetting. Residents should check their devices to ensure they reflect the new time. The transition will alter daily light patterns, bringing earlier morning daylight and earlier evening darkness.

On Sunday, the sun is expected to rise around 6:13 a.m. and set near 5 p.m. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises drivers to exercise caution as darkness falls earlier. Motorists should slow down and watch for pedestrians and children, especially near school zones and bus stops. Pedestrians are encouraged to wear bright or reflective clothing and use flashlights after dark.

Local fire departments recommend using the clock change as a prompt to test smoke alarms and review home fire escape plans. They also suggest checking the batteries in carbon monoxide detectors. This routine maintenance helps ensure safety systems are functioning before winter heating systems run continuously.

California voters approved Proposition 7 in 2018, which granted the state legislature the power to change daylight saving time schedules with a two-thirds vote. However, the measure did not automatically end the biannual clock changes. Under current federal law, California can adopt standard time year-round but cannot keep daylight saving time permanent without congressional approval.

The House of Representatives voted 308 to 117 on July 14 to pass the Sunshine Protection Act. This bill, designated H.R. 139, would make daylight saving time permanent in states that currently observe it. The legislation has since stalled in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. A Senate companion measure, S. 29, received a 16 to 12 vote in committee in April 2025, but the panel indicated another vote is needed to meet attendance rules.

President Donald Trump has urged senators to approve the House bill, arguing that most Americans prefer permanent daylight saving time. He posted on Truth Social on Monday that the Senate is letting the bill die despite majority support. Trump’s position has evolved over the past two years, shifting from calls to eliminate daylight saving time entirely to backing permanent summer time. Several senators oppose the current House bill, citing concerns that winter mornings in northern states would become too dark for children and commuters.

If federal law remains unchanged, clocks will move forward one hour again at 2 a.m. on March 14, 2027. Hawaii, most of Arizona, and several U.S. territories do not observe daylight saving time. The nation previously experimented with permanent daylight saving time in 1974 during an energy crisis but ended the practice after public support declined due to early morning darkness.